Princess Expands Homeport Cruising

Princess Cruises, which is positioning its 109,000-ton Grand Princess in Galveston next year, is the latest cruise line to expand its domestic homeport strategy. Grand Princess, which easily becomes the largest ship to sail regularly from Galveston, begins its seasonal stay November 13, 2004. The ship will sail 7-day Western Caribbean roundtrips, featuring calls at Belize, Costa Maya, Cozumel and Grand Cayman. In addition to the regular itinerary, Grand Princess will also sail a special Christmas/New Year’s voyage – a nine-day cruise that encompasses both holidays. That itinerary includes one additional port of call, Ocho Rios.

Galveston has been one of the industry’s biggest beneficiaries of seasonal homeport strategies in the past few years. Currently, it plays home, seasonally or year-round, to Carnival’s Celebration, Elation and Jubilee, and Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody and Splendour of the Seas, not to mention river cruise operators such as Delta Queen Steamboat and RiverBarge Excursions’ River Explorer.